KBG84 is a one-of-a-kind girl band in Japan consisting of 33 singing and dancing grannies, with an average age of 84. The oldest member. Haru Yamashiro is 97 years old!

The new band, based in the remote island of Kohama in Okinawa, is a huge hit in the country—so much so that the members are rather shocked by their success. Their first single—-titled Come on and Dance, Kohama Island—-has made it to the top of the charts, and they've just completed a sell-out tour of Japan.

"We felt like stars in Tokyo, "added 86-year-old Hideko Kedamori." Everyone in the audience had a big smile, which gave us the energy to sing our hearts out. We're blessed to have been born in Kohama. Our lyrics are about the island and nature—-whales in the sea spouting or dolphins doing somersaults(空翻)."

    Regardless of the lyrics, these elderly women are incredibly charming when they perform. Their energy and enthusiasm are amazing, considering their age. In fact, no one under the age of 80 is allowed into the band. It turns out that the pop queens are blessed with incredible genes--Okinawan islanders have one of the highest life expectancies in the world. Their diet chiefly consists of vegetables and local purple-fleshed sweet Potatoes, with practically no added sugar. Menaka said she isn't particular about her diet.

    "I look after my health by cleaning my home, wiping the floors, steaming rice, "she said." I stay in the shade when it's too hot. I don't want to get burnt. I have to take care of my skin-I'm still young at heart! "

    Opera is an art form that celebrates the human voice, No other art lorm creates excitement and moves the heart in the way that opera does, especially when performed by a great singer. Opera is an important part of the Western classical music tradition. It uses music, words, and actions to bring a dramatic story to life. Opera started in Italy at the end of the 16th century and later became popular throughout Europe. Over the years, it has responded to various musicals. In recent decades, much wider audiences have been introduced to opera through modern recording technology. Some singers have become celebrities thanks to performing on radio, on TV, and in the cinema.

    However, in recent years, opera has been facing serious challenges. One current challenge to opera is economics. The shortage of money raises the broader question of how much should be paid to support opera singers and other artists. Society seems to accept the large salaries paid to business managers and the multi-million-dollar contracts given to sports athletes. But what about opera singers? Somehow, people have the idea that artists can be creative only if they suffer in poverty, but this is unrealistic. If artists, including opera singers, lack the support they need, valuable talent is wasted.

    Not only the shortage of money, but also the way money is managed in the opera world has led to hardships, Principal singers are generally paid performance fees once they complete a show. They typically receive nothing during the many weeks of rehearsal(排练)before a show starts.

    Another problem faced by opera is how to meet the demands of audiences who are influenced by popular entertainment. Pop singers are often judged as much on the basis of how they look as how they sound. These demands may be unrealistic and possibly harmful. Opera singers simply cannot make a sound big enough to fill a large theater or concert hall without a microphone if their body weight is too low. Emphasizing physical appearance over singing ability may cause audiences to miss out on the human voice at its best.

    There are no easy solutions to opera's problems and there are many different opinions about the value of opera. However, every year many young people register for music courses with hopes and dreams of developing their talent in this special art form. The fact that opera has survived many obstacles and continues to attract the rising generation shows that it remains a respectable art form full of value.

Thomas Cheatham had planned to study Latin during his time at Hebron High School in Texas. But when he learned that the school district was going to offer a Mandarin(普通话) class, he quickly changed his mind.

    "I thought Mandarin would be more beneficial than Latin, "said Cheatham, who is now in his second year of studying the language.

    He speaks Mandarin to order food at Chinese restaurants and can read social media posts from his Chinese-speaking friends. While it's a difficult language to master, the high school junior, who plans to study computer engineering, thinks it will be important for his career. "Chinese is a good language to know, especially with China becoming a growing power, "he said.

    Many experts agree that proficiency(熟练)in a language spoken by a billion people worldwide will give American students an edge in the global economy.

    "People are looking at China as our next economic competitor, and interest in Mandarin is growing fast, "said Marty Abbott, director of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. "We're seeing it in all parts of the country."

    Abbott predicts that as many as 100, 000 students are now studying Mandarin in public and private schools throughout the US. She said the US government has designated(指定）Mandarin as an "important need" language and provides professional development programs for teachers. "Our government wants to increase our language ability for economic competitiveness, "Abbott added.

    At the same time, the Chinese government is spreading knowledge of the Chinese language and culture through Confucius Institutes set up in many US states. For example, the Confucius Institute at the University of Texas at Dallas has been the home of a Confucius Institute for 10 years. It sponsors Confucius Classrooms at 21 local public and private schools, where tens of thousands of students are learning Mandarin.

My dearest son and daughter,

    The story of New Jersey high school student Rachel Canning suing her parents for child support and high school education inspired me to write you a little letter. Let me just put this out there the only way I expect to see you in a court is as a lawyer or a judge.

    There are two things about this case that seem to be disaster.

    First it's natural for parents and children to argue. I can guarantee that we will disagree. One or both of you will, at some point, scream at the top of your voice the various ways you hate me. And I won't always like you, either. But I will always love you and do everything I can to keep your best interests as my focus, even when I'm so angry. We are family. That means we are as much a part of one another as the flesh, blood and bones in our body. And we all should think about it very deeply instead of breaking that bond.

    Second, to be honest, no matter how far apart we are on your life choices, your father and I will most certainly pay everything we can for your higher education. But that doesn't mean you deserve it. To be clear, that is a privilege we happily extend(给于)to you-not a right you are born with. And you will have to work hard to earn that privilege. Growing up is hard work.

    If I do my job properly as your mother-and you do yours as my children-you would sooner get a job or two, and find a way to make your dreams come true rather than go to trial over what you think you are entitled to.

Love always,

Mom

    On any given day, many of us wrestle with our fears. We might be considering changing a job, telling someone we love them or wanting to speak up for what's right when we see injustice(不公正). Or it says that we don't have the ability to create the life or world we want to have. The cycle often plays out in the same way.

    So, what should we do? Instead, we can choose to accept fear as part of the process of change and practice courage. Though courage is often thought of as an inborn character, it's actually a practice that can be learned for dealing with difficulty. Here are two useful tips for dealing with fear and moving closer to courage.

    Listen without attachment. Many of us who are stuck in fear have an inner critic(批评家), constantly telling us we'll fail. Sometimes we adopt approaches to removing it. However, if we can take time to listen to our inner critic without attachment-without the need to ignore or accept what it is saying-we're in a better position to learn from it.

     Creating courageous communities gives us the support to face challenges. Sometimes our stories get in our way, and we need people who are doing similar work to help us see where we're getting stuck or what we're truly good at.

A. Fear shows up in the body.

B. You'll be more likely to make the changes.

C. In other words, courage can become a habit.

D. Don't see fear as bad or try to remove it when it arises.

E. But a voice within us pipes up saying that there's no point.

F. While we can get temporary relief, they don't actually make the critic go away.

G. Surround yourself with like-minded people who also honor the values of courage.

    Ask someone for their first memory and they will often give some fairly dull possibilities and not be sure which comes first. However, I have no1at all about mine. The earliest thing I recall is looking down and seeing flames coming out of my2.

    It was a Sunday afternoon in July 1981 when I3fire. I was in the garden with my dad. It was a sunny day but slightly breezy(有微风的). I was standing nearby as my dad4to light the barbecue. After several failed attempts, 5he had to use some sort of accelerant(助燃剂). It caused a small fireball, which was flying towards me 6 the breeze suddenly 7 in my direction. That's where the 8 memory of my burning ankles kicks in. My dad9fast. He dashed indoors, grabbed a large blanket and10to wrap me in it.

    The next thing I remember is sitting on a chest, feeling hot and11water over and over again; then being driven to a12. I underwent lots of skin operations and for weeks I wasn't able to bend my legs, which had to be wrapped in bandages.13this period, I don't recall experiencing pain. It was only when I14what an exciting summer my sister was having that my situation began to seem15.

    We've never talked much about the16—my dad has never been an especially17person. Now that I have kids of my own, I do sometimes wonder what he18. I've never felt any19at him, and I recognize that but for his swift actions the situation could have been20. But I'd certainly never have a barbecue with my kids.

    A recent study shows that most adults household chores (active) when they were young. Most kids today do not do as many household chores(零活儿) as before, same study shows.

    An expert said, "Parents today want their kids to spend more time things that can bring them money and honour. They have stopped (do)the one thing that has proven to bring success. That is doing household chores. "

    Another study finds that compared with the kids didn't do household chores, young adults beginning chores at ages 3 and 4 were more likely (succeed). They had better family relationships, did better in school, performed better at work and were more independent.

    Personal happiness (say) to come from strong relationships. It begins by learning to be kind and (help) to their parents at home. If your kids say they have to skip chores because it's time they should deal with (they) homework, you'd better not let them off the hook. If you do, your child may think grades are more important than caring about others, "What may seem like small (message) at the moment add up to big ones over time, "says an expert.

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1．每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

2．只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

    How is everything going? I would like to express my thanks with your kindness during my stay in London last week. Know that you take a great fancy to Chinese culture, especial the Spring Festival, I would love to introduce it to you. The Spring Festival, one of the most important festival in China, falls on January 1 in the lunar calendar. It has a long history, that was originally celebrated to drive away a monster "Nian". Different from that in past, it is now given new meanings. On the New Year's Eve, each family have its members gather together. They tell each other their lives in the past year, exchange gifts and to eat delicious meals in the warm of the family. I hope you will come here and experienced this wonderful festival.

要点如下：

1）倡议的原因和目的；

2）倡议的具体内容；

3）发出倡议。

注意：①词数150左右；

②可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。